When safeguarding fails: a community wake-up call

irst, we must acknowledge the profound sadness and devastation experienced by the children and families at the centre of the recent childcare abuse scandal. The harm inflicted is unimaginable, and no parent should ever have to question whether their child was safe in someone else’s care. Our hearts are with those affected.

The case – involving over 70 charges of child abuse against a childcare worker – has shocked the nation. While this incident did not occur in a Jewish setting, its lessons are universal and urgent.

Abuse happens when safeguarding is not taken seriously, when policies are outdated, when organisations are complacent, and when concerns are silenced. The Jewish community cannot afford to assume it won’t happen here.

We need a Jewish safeguarding unit – now

At present, there is no culturally specific safeguarding unit for the Jewish community in Australia. This is a serious gap.

Jewish schools, synagogues, childcare centres, youth movements and camps have unique cultural practices that need tailored safeguarding. Mainstream systems are not enough.

We need:

•  Jewish-specific safeguarding training for staff, volunteers and board members.
• Policies that address communal risks like youth group sleepovers, ritual spaces, gendered programs and religious authority structures.
• Confidential, culturally appropriate reporting pathways that children, parents and community members can trust.

Building this service must now be a priority.

Boards must lead the change

Every Jewish organisation must ask: Are we doing everything we can to keep children safe?

Boards carry legal responsibility for the safety of children.

They must:

• Have regular board training
•  Keep child safety on every agenda.
• Screen beyond a working with children check to include safeguarding interview questions and thorough reference checks.
• Regularly review and update safeguarding policies.
• Ensure Jewish-specific safeguarding training for all staff and volunteers.
• Create open cultures where concerns are heard and acted upon.

When safeguarding is treated as a low priority or a box-ticking exercise, the community is left vulnerable.

What parents must ask

When choosing where to enrol their children, parents should confidently ask:

• Does this organisation have a current safeguarding policy that speaks to the Jewish context?
• When was the last safeguarding training delivered, and was it culturally relevant?
• Who is the child safety officer? Are children taught how to raise concerns?
• How will the organisation respond to a safeguarding report?

If these questions cannot be answered clearly, parents should be concerned.

A call to action

As a safeguarding and child advocate, I say this with urgency:

We must come together now to build a Jewish safeguarding service that understands our people, our practices, and our unique challenges. Child safety must not be optional. It must be part of our leadership, our classrooms, our camps, our synagogues, and our homes. Every child deserves to be safe – not just in theory, but in practice.

If you have concerns about a child contact your state child protection authority.

Sexual Assault Centres: Call CASA (Vic) on 1800 806 292 or your local centre.

Police: Sexual Offences and Child Investigation and Support Team (SOCIT) in Victoria or call Triple Zero (000) in emergencies.

Dr Michelle Meyer is a leading safeguarding advocate with extensive experience in the Jewish community. She established Maoz and has served as its president since 2021. Donations to Maoz: maoz.com.au